The Family: Ties That Bind (VOL. 2)

Chapter 27

Dwight

Deetz and I crept down the stairs, leaving Matilda standing on the landing. The crazies were outside on the porch with their backs turned. The only thing blocking us from them was the thin screen door leading outside. We pressed our backs to the wall and snuck past them into the dining room. The room was put back together the best it could be after what happened to Penny. A chair was still missing on one side of the table and the carpet was stained with brown splotches. I tried not to look too hard. We paused outside the doorway leading into the kitchen. Carefully, I peeked around the corner to see if the coast was clear. The room was as empty as the rest of the house. The operation was a go.

Deetz gasped and grabbed a handful of my shirt sleeve. I whipped around and threw my fists up, expecting to see one of the crazies, but instead finding the old man parked in his wheelchair by the window. His eyes were shut and his head lolled to one side. When I first saw the guy, I was sure he was dead, but after they poured Penny's blood down his throat and his lifeless limbs began to move, I was proven wrong.

Deetz's stared wide-eyed at the decrepit figure and whispered. "Do...d'you think he knows we're here?"

I shook my head. "I don't think he knows much of anything. He's not a threat."

We slinked into the kitchen and each took off in a different direction to keep watch; Deetz chose the window over the sink and I the back door. The path to the woods was a straight shot. All we had to do was cross the lawn. Couldn't have been more than 30 yards or less. The crazies were gathered in front of the house leaving the back open and free. What was the chance they'd see us? I was never good at math so I couldn't actually calculate the percentage. Eh, probably best to wait on Matilda.

"Are you ready for this, Dwight?"

"Is anyone really ready to run for their lives?" I grabbed a knife off the countertop. I'd never had to use a weapon before, but I guess it'd come naturally in a life or death situation. I was prepared to shank them one by one if I had to. 

"I guess not. Bet you're wishing you went running with Zack all those times he asked. You could've been faster than Usain Bolt by now." I didn't have time to shoot back a witty remark before she hit the floor, ducking out of view. "Hide. The big guy's coming."

The two of us both bolted for the same pantry closet. It was a cramped fit, but we managed to wedge ourselves in the bottom. My lanky height was both a blessing and a curse. The ladies loved it, but being tall sure sucked when you were stuffing yourself into a tiny space–not that I had to do that often. The two of us were tangled together with the kid between us and I closed the door right as the butcher strolled inside the kitchen with a chainsaw in hand. Deetz sank back as far as she could and rocked the kid to keep him quiet.

Neither of us would make a peep, but that baby was unpredictable. If he even so much as sneezed, we'd be dead ducks. Taking him with us was an awful idea, but how could I tell Matilda no? After all she'd done to help us, I couldn't deny her one request. She was the reason we weren't still stuck in that barn. If it weren't for her, we'd still be in there awaiting death.

The closet door was louvered and the slats were spaced wide enough for me to peer through. The butcher dropped the chainsaw on the island in the middle of the room. Opening a drawer, he retrieved a screwdriver and went to work on the saw. Just looking at the guy had me shaking. Flashbacks to earlier that day assaulted my mind, dragging me kicking and screaming back to what transpired mere hours ago...

............................

The butcher strapped me down to a table in the center of the room. Leather cuffs held my ankles and wrists in place and prevented me from fighting back while cutting off my circulation. He leaned over the head of the table, staring me face to face. The stench of death invaded my nostrils and I gagged. Whatever he wore on his face wasn't only creepy as hell, but it stunk to high heaven.  It was a mask stitched together with thick, black, thread, and obviously homemade. You wouldn't find one like that in a Party City or Spirit Halloween; I frequented there often so I should know.